Black Sheep
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 1:25-31
The term black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more common white; these sheep stand out in the flock and their wool was traditionally considered less valuable as it was not able to be dyed.
Any other black sheep out there? I am not the unblemished lamb. I’m the one with the undesirable coat, the one whose wool is not desirable due to its coarseness and inability to accept dye. I am the lamb with open wounds and scars that mark it as being of lesser quality that its peers. The one who is prone to wander and become caught in a thorn bush and in danger of predation. To some, I may be “less than” due to mistakes I’ve made in my past that mark me as far from perfect. But, to our Lord, I am worth searching for, lovingly steering back into the fold, and caring for as He tends my scars and works to heal every wound. He is the perfect shepherd, He knows us each intimately, understands our tendencies, and how to call to us so that we follow Him eagerly if we will just listen to His voice.
Fortunately, God chooses to use foolish and weak things of this world, because, boy, have I been foolish and weak at times in my life. I spent many years hiding from God, unwilling to be used in the way that He would have had me be used because I felt like the shame of my failures was too great for anyone to ever take me seriously. I feared a social media post by a friend from a period of my life that I’m less than proud of. I was terrified that if stood up and took a public stand for my savior, that I would only bring shame and embarrassment on my fellow Christians as they remembered an indiscretion of my past. I love my Lord and always wanted to work for Him, but preferred to do it in the background, stepping forward only when no one else was willing.
But, you see, God doesn’t look at us that way. He takes those of us who are weak and foolish, and creates something new, and says proudly to the world, “Look, what I can do!” His power and grace is magnified in our weakness. Our lives become a living testimony to His saving and transformative grace. When we submit fully to Him as Lord of our life and live in close communion with Him, people notice. And when people begin to notice, the Holy Spirit whispers in their ears, “He can do this for you, too…” A transformed life is never something to hide, it is something to proudly display.
Have you trusted in that perfect Lamb of God to wash away your sins? If your answer is yes, hold your head up, Christian, and surrender to His leading in your life. Share the good news! Live life in a way that points people to Him, and experience the abundant life that He intends for us to enjoy. If you can’t answer yes to that question, seek Him now, while He is near.
